Imagine you were going hungry and God made it rain heavenly bread for you. Join us as Dr. McGee teaches through Exodus 16, when God sent manna to the children of Israel as a symbol of His promise to satisfy our souls as the true Bread of Life.
We last saw the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea. In Exodus 15, the Song of Moses recounts their trials, their story of redemption, and their thankfulness to God for deliverance. Soon, their joyful songs of praise faded into tired, bitter complaints as they found themselves weary with thirst. Discover how the cross of Christ can turn even life’s bitter “Marah moments” sweet.
What would you do if following God’s direction landed you between 600 Egyptian chariots and the Red Sea? Lose faith? That’s exactly what the Israelites did. Moses reminded his people to be courageous and that “the Lord will fight for you.” See how God kept His promise to fight for Israel and fully delivered them from the Egyptians—this time, for good.
Imagine being able to physically see God directing your steps. It would certainly be easier to follow Him. God gave the children of Israel His visible presence—pillars of cloud and fire—to comfort and guide them along this new journey. Follow along as Dr. McGee covers more about the Passover, the Promised Land, and (surprise) Pharoah’s once-again hardened heart.
While the Passover was a monumental night for those who put their faith in God, it was a tragic night for many Egyptians. Defeated and afraid, Pharoah finally surrendered. Almost instantly, the Israelites were hurried out of the land of Egypt. Their exit was so rushed, they had to eat their unleavened bread on the go. And so, at the end of Exodus 12, we see God’s people—hurried and unprepared—finally leaving Egypt behind.
Get ready to see Christ in the Old Testament. Exodus 12 recounts one of the most important moments in Israel’s history—the Passover, the birth of Israel as a nation. God promised to redeem those who put their faith in His blood alone, and He still keeps that promise today.
In Exodus 10, Egypt faced the worst plague yet—locusts. This plague was so bad that Pharoah finally admitted, “I have sinned against the Lord your God.” Upon this admission, God sent the locusts away. When Pharoah’s heart hardened once again, darkness fell over Egypt, and God promised to bring one final judgment to the land of Egypt.
What would it take to get you to surrender to God? Pharoah opted to endure physical agony—the plague of boils—rather than obey God. Why did God tolerate Pharoah? Why must the story unfold this way? God could have snapped His fingers and set the Israelites free. Instead, He used Pharoah’s stubborn, wicked heart to demonstrate His sacred power and ultimate authority.
Warning: Along this stop on the Bible Bus, we will encounter dead cattle, flies, lice, and a whole lot of frogs. Are you in? Each of these nasty plagues can teach us something significant about the ancient gods of Egypt and, in turn, about the idols we harbor in our own hearts today.
“Let the plagues begin.” Hard-hearted Pharoah refused to let God’s people go, resulting in the first of the ten plagues. Egypt’s entire water supply was turned to blood—a plague directed at the Egyptian god of the Nile. Follow along as Dr. McGee teaches about Egypt’s false gods, Pharoah’s hardened heart, and God’s righteous judgment.
God gives us everything we need, yet sometimes we still hesitate to follow Him. Not only does God remind Moses of who He is, but He gives Moses His detailed action plan: The seven “I Will’s” of redemption. Even after hearing these powerful, life-changing promises, Moses still hesitated. Notice how God patiently reassures Moses of his calling. Find comfort in the fact that today God has that same kind of patience with you!
We left off with Pharoah’s important question, “Who is the Lord?” Pharoah refused to acknowledge God and instead made life in Egypt worse for God’s people. Because of this, Moses and his people began to doubt and lose sight of God’s promise. But God—patient and strong—reminds Pharoah, Moses, the children of Israel, and even us today exactly who He is: Jehovah. The self-existing One. He alone is the LORD.
Give God your heart, then let Him sort out the rest. Moses offered some valid reasons proving why he was the wrong guy for the job. God made it clear that as long as Moses had a willing heart, “I will teach you what you shall say.” Follow along as we learn more about Moses’ feelings of inadequacy, Zipporah’s act of faith, and Pharoah’s important question: “Who is the Lord?”
Are you willing to be weak? Dr. McGee says, “God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.” When God redeems us from weakness, He always redeems us to His strength. In Exodus 3, discover how our Creator—the almighty I AM—saves Moses and the people of Israel from themselves and uses their weakness to show His never-failing strength.
Did the Israelites deserve God’s deliverance? Do we deserve salvation? God loved them then, just as He loves us now. God kept his covenant with Abraham and saved the people of Israel, and He likewise keeps His promise to save us if we call on Him. In this continued study of Exodus, we learn a little bit more about the people of Israel and God’s great love and compassion for them.
Humble beginnings often unfold into amazing stories. In Exodus 2, God blessed Jochebed’s sensible faith and saved her child from Pharoah’s soldiers. From a baby in a basket to an Egyptian prince, meet God’s promised deliverer—Moses. Follow along with Dr. McGee as he shows us how God used an imperfect leader to represent Christ and to begin an amazing story of courage, freedom, and redemption for God’s people.
When we left God’s people at the end of Genesis, just 70 members of Joseph’s family lived in Egypt. Turn the page and 350 years have gone by and now God’s people—likely a couple million strong—are slaves . . . but not for long. God didn’t forget His people but promised to send them a deliverer. And that’s a story worth our attention as we watch God prove Himself over and over.
No matter how many times you may read about it, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most compelling true story in all of history. Sit a little longer at the foot of the cross as we look at the events that happened immediately after Jesus died and ponder Jesus’ “Great Commission”—His final words on earth to His followers.
Pontius Pilate stood at the crossroads of what he knew to be true and what the crowd demanded. He knew Jesus was an innocent man. Our study in Matthew 27 takes us to that important moment when Pilate’s actions fulfilled yet another Old Testament prophecy—when Jesus gave up His life willingly.
Was Jesus ever tempted to quit—return to heaven and ask the Father to find another way to save us? He was tested in the wilderness in the beginning of His ministry, now Jesus was tested in the Garden of Gethsemane just as He was ready to give His life on the cross. Visit with Him there.
